Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 8, Nationals 3
CUBS WIN THE GAME! CUBS WIN THE SERIES! CUBS ARE NOT YET SELLING!
For the second night in a row, the Cubs’ bats stepped up late to turn a close one into a blowout. You love to see it for any number of reasons, but you also love that it gives them all the more confidence heading into an important (they’re all important) weekend series against the Cardinals.
The bare minimum the Cubs needed to do in this series against the Nationals was win it. I try to keep that in mind, even as I let myself really enjoy the fun stuff from that game, including Nico Hoerner’s oops-I-woke-up-the-wife grand slam.
Mike Tauchman had a HUGE game, with a leadoff homer, a couple doubles (almost a triple), and a walk. He accounted, more or less on his own, for the Cubs’ first three runs.
The lead run came in the 8th, when the Cubs loaded the bases for pinch-hitter Yan Gomes (pinch-hitting for DH Trey Mancini), who rocketed one to left field for the hardest-hit sac fly you’ll see this year. A few batters later, Nico did his thing.
Kyle Hendricks was his solid self for his six innings of work, giving up only a single run (on some whatever groundballs). Five strikeouts, six groundouts, no walks. Just really strong command tonight, and not a lot of hard contact.
Julian Merryweather, for as great as he’s been at times this year, was not on one tonight, and instead the Nationals were all over him. That’s what allowed them to tie the game up late at three, but thankfully it didn’t matter.
Full box score.
Source: bleachernation.com
